1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic image pickup apparatus, and in particular, to an arrangement of internal components for the miniaturization of the electronic image pickup apparatus by efficiently arranging an electrical board and a power supply battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, electronic image pickup apparatuses such as an electronic still camera have become popular. A camera of this type is constructed so that the camera may record an image signal, image information, and the like as outputted from an image pickup means such as a CCD.
In such an electronic image pickup apparatus, many electrical components are used. Among these electrical components, a large-sized electrical board is used as compared with those used in a conventional camera using a silver halide film.
In addition, it is common to use a plurality of dry battery cells as a power supply in a conventional electronic image pickup apparatus. Therefore, the space that these components occupy in the apparatus inevitably becomes large.
With respect to conventional electronic image pickup apparatuses, various apparatuses have been proposed, for example, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-186768, and have been put into practical use. In the apparatus as disclosed above, a battery chamber is arranged inside a holding part provided in an end part of the apparatus, a plurality of power supply batteries is contained therein, and a plurality of electrical boards are arranged at a different location from the battery chamber so that the plurality of electrical boards may be positioned parallel to an internal surface in the front side of the apparatus.
The size of an electrical board arranged inside an electronic image pickup apparatus is a major factor in determining the exterior size of the apparatus itself.
According to the conventional means disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-186768 and the like, a battery chamber is provided in an end part of the apparatus. Hence, it is not possible to arrange a large-sized electrical board and the like near this battery chamber.
In addition, according to the means disclosed in the publication, each member of the image pickup system, such as a picture-taking lens and an imager, is unitized and is arranged at a position independent from a body part of the electronic image pickup apparatus. Therefore, if this arrangement is adopted, there arises a problem that the apparatus becomes large-sized.